Deadly Intent
by Ellixer
Summary: A story about something, but I don't know what that is yet. Tune in, find out, enjoy the ride
1. Chapter 1

Title: Deadly Intent

Rating: M

Author: Ellixer

Pairing: X/G

Disclaimer: Characters and show are owned by Universal and others. The story is mine. I make nothing.

Note: I have no idea where this story is going or what is happening. Enjoy.

_This is one time I'm afraid neither one of us will be getting out of this. So this may be my last scroll, my last account of our lives and our death. I don't know where to begin; it wasn't supposed to be like this. But I'm here alone, with a tiny shaft of light to write by and the image of Xena's face when I last saw her, etched forever in my memory._

_I can hear her screaming, it echoes not only in my ears but against the walls. It's a torture I can barely endure but I refuse to give up before she does. I will listen to every cry of pain and silently reach out to her, hoping she can somehow hear me. As this is the last tale, I will write everything. I'll not leave anything out; I'll not censor myself for the sake of others. People must know the true story, the whole story. They must know everything._

'Xena, are we going to take a break this winter?' I'm propped up on my elbows looking up at the stars. Xena is lying next to me, fingers laced under her head.

'I suppose.'

'Not enough action for you yet?' I look down at her.

'Not the kind I want.' She grins and I nudge her with my elbow. 'Let's go down to one of the islands.' I roll over to my side and look at her.

'Really?'

'Yeah.' She smiles. 'I keep promising you we will.'

'Xena?'

'Yeah?'

'When people call me your girlfriend, do they mean girlfriend, or girl friend?' She starts to chuckle at me.

'It's been both.'

'Oh.' I nod.

'Why?' She rolls to her side now, facing me.

'Well if people already think I'm your girlfriend…'

'Why don't you just be my girlfriend?' She's grinning at me; I can tell she's enjoying this.

'Well, yeah.' I look down at my fingers, playing with a piece of straw.

'You're not now?'

'No.' Silence.

'What are you?'

'Your best friend, with some benefits.' She laughs at this, I grin a little.

'Isn't that the same thing?'

'No it's not and you know it.' I manage to look her in the eyes again, some seriousness coming back.

'Well what do you want?'

'I know you're not about commitment.'

'We have been together for 30 years, if that's not commitment….' She's trying to look serious but is failing.

'Being frozen for 25 of those years does not count.' I poke at her shoulder, and her false mask finally falls into a grin. We go silent and her face turns serious, a hand comes up to my cheek as our eyes meet.

'You're my soul mate, and I love you. I will be whatever you want me to be.'

'What if I wanted you to be a housewife?'

'I'm afraid I might kill you with my cooking.'

'True.' We bring our foreheads together, eyes close.

'Tell me what you want?' She whispers.

'I just want you, all of you.'

'You have that already.'

'If only that were true.' She pulls away from me, confusion in her eyes. 'There's been more than one man who's declared their love for you and you declared it right back.' My voice is soft when I say this, but she looks as if I've just stabbed her.

'And those who declared their love for you?' She accuses, slightly angry.

'Usually had to kidnap me because I didn't love them like they loved me.' Her anger dissipates, but I think she's still angry at herself. She rolls over to her back again, looking up at the night sky.

'So why do you stay?' Her voice is soft, nearly a whisper. I curl up next to her, my lips next to her ear.

'I didn't leave when we were crucified. I didn't leave when we were frozen. I didn't leave when you threw a chakram at my head, though I almost didn't have a choice.' I pull myself close so I'm practically on top of her, lips still whispering in her ear. 'You give me most of you; you give me the parts no one else gets. Sometimes I just wish I could get it all. But I know it's hard for you to give up complete control.' Her eyes close as her arms wrap around me.

'Why did the God's give you to me?'

'I asked for a challenge.' I grin as she laughs, the tension eases in her body.

'Gabrielle.' Her head turns and she looks me in the eye. 'I give you my heart, soul, body, and voice. I am yours unconditionally and I will not betray that ever again.' I narrow my eyes a little at her as I smile. There are tiny, fractions of moments when she can be romantic.

'So I can be your girlfriend then?' I grin as she leans in to kiss me. It's a soft kiss to seal the deal.

'Just don't tell anyone.' The kiss deepens.

'Think it's safe?' I mumble against her lips.

'I'm sure we'll manage.' Xena rolls so she's on top of me, propped up on her hands but our lips are still locked in a sensuous kiss. 'Haven't heard anything out there, should be good.' My hands run up her arms, her neck, then tangle in her hair. One of her hands splays on my stomach, resting there a moment before sliding up under my top.

'We can do this one of two ways.' She leans down and whispers in my ear. 'We can work around the clothes,' I already know my answer. 'Or we can take our chances.' My answer is to begin tugging at her leather top, as she gives me the most feral smile. Her experienced fingers make quick work of the laces on my top and skirt. Soon we are skin to skin with nothing but the stars looking down at us.

Her lips graze the skin of my face as her fingers dance up and down my stomach. Every movement and touch causes goose bumps and shivers to erupt throughout my body. Her breath feels hot against my neck as she takes the time to just feel me. These moments are few and far between, but when we get them, God's are they good.

My fingers rake down her back because her barest touch is enough to excite me to my core. We're silent except for the sound of our breathing as it increases by the minute. Her lips finally make true contact with my skin as she sucks gently on my neck. Her roaming hand comes to rest on my breast, squeezing and massaging gently as my body unconsciously pushes up into her.

Our bodies dance to a rhythm only we can hear; an exotic melody born from each kiss and touch. Sometimes our feelings are a tangible thing that we can reach out and touch. It flows through our fingertips in a message to our lover that vibrates through to their soul. I love her every curve, scar, softness, roughness, every painful memory just as much as the good ones.

My fingers draw over the crest of her hip, dip into the small of her back then down her sides to her stomach. The muscles move under my hands, a rippling just under the skin. My hands slowly slide their way up to her breasts, her nipples rubbing against my palms causing a small groan to escape her lips.

She abandons my neck; her face hovers just above mine, dark hair falling down as if encasing us in a private moment no one can see. Her eyes glisten, and I can't stop looking up into them. One hand cups my cheek before sliding down my neck and between the curve of my breasts. She finally leans closer giving her lips to me, her tongue dancing with mine in an intimate tangle.

Our bodies crush together, creating a friction that burns my skin. I find myself whispering her name with every gasp that manages to escape my mouth. There's a migration once more of hands and lips as we roll with me on top. My thigh presses enticingly in-between her legs, teasing with just enough pressure then removing it, just to push it back again. Her teeth graze against my neck and I make my way down her body, creating a trail of nips, licks, and hickies till I remove my thigh and begin to tease her center with my tongue.

Her fingers grab tightly onto my hair as her back arches up and head falls back with a moan. She hisses as my nose rubs against her, my tongue delving deep as I can get it. Her hips move in tandem with my thrusts, causing me to groan into her. The vibration sending her on a ride her body gladly takes. Hands still clinging into my hair urging me on, closer, harder. So I give in, sliding three fingers in curled up to hit the sensitive spot. My lips latch on to her nipple, my tongue flicking across it as I suck. A string of curses leaves her mouth and her body goes taught, pushing hard up into me before collapsing back onto the ground.

I settle down beside her, waiting for her to come down from her temporary high. Both of us panting and gasping for breath but it was well worth it. Her head falls to one side, looking me in the eye. She can communicate so much with just one look. Pulling me in, her lips capture mine and the process starts all over again.


	2. Chapter 2

Deadly Intent 2

'Xena?' She sniffs the air.

'Yes I smell it too.' It's a discernible stench that one can never forget. Death. We have not reached the village, yet it drifts on the air already.

'Should we?' We both pause in the middle of the road. Xena is trying to concentrate her senses, trying to identify if danger is present.

'Yes.' She simply says, but pulls her sword from its sheath as she begins to walk.

'Is there any danger?' I ask, reaching for my Sais; but she just shakes her head no.

'I think were too late for that.' As we crest a steep hill in the road, we begin to see the village and the deathly quiet that emanates from it.

'Xena!' I can't stop the gasp as I take in the scene before me. Bodies litter the roadway to and from the village. These people were murdered as they ran for their lives. Then I notice the small bodies, the innocent children that were slaughtered along with their families. Xena turns, looking at me, silently asking me if I can go on. I shake my head as my hands come up to my mouth. The feeling to retch is nearly overwhelming.

Xena's body is tense as we begin inching our way forward. Only a few of these villagers seem to have any weapons, the rest were defenseless. I feel like time has slowed to a crawl as we maneuver our way around the bodies. Whoever it was didn't even bother trying to get rid of the grisly scene. There are no fires, in fact everything seems intact.

I can't help but reach out and touch her arm, clinging to the one bit of sanity that seems left in the world. Her sword is sheathed once again as we stand in the center of the village. Nothing is moving, no sounds can even be heard. What livestock that wasn't taken was slaughtered along with the rest of the villages inhabitants. It's obvious many of the women had been raped and tortured, probably just for the sport of it. I've seen some grisly things in my life, but nothing quite like this.

Xena turns, looking at me grimly. I know what she wants to do, the only thing we can do right now. It takes hours but somehow we manage to pile the bodies up in the center of the village. Xena stacks logs, branches, sticks, whatever she can find, against the pile of death. I watch as she lights the makeshift pyre, singing her dirge as she circles with a torch.

We've said nothing all day; and still we stand here, shoulder to shoulder, silent and stiff. I look off into the horizon, watching as the sun slowly crawls its way to bed. I can't possibly stay here tonight, there are too many ghosts wandering around searching for redemption.

'Xena. I want to go.' She looks down at me, tears glistening in her eyes as they do my own.

'Let's go.'

It's dark, the moon is beginning to rise as we finally make camp. It took some time to reach a river where we can wash off the grime and memories of the day. We move about silently, setting up camp comes naturally and with no thought. I manage to get a fire going, but I'm not hungry, I can't eat anything and possibly keep it down.

I grab a few cloths and a towel and make my way to the river bank. I sit my few items down before throwing myself into the calm river, clothes and all. It's cold, but the shock is a welcome relief. Xena silently slips into the slow moving water, making her way to me silently. Without a word, she begins washing my back, gently and with purpose,

I can't get the images of the children out of my head. There's a lump in my throat, it's all that is keeping me from crying right now. Her fingers dance along my shoulders as her lips gently touch my neck. I allow myself to be pulled back against her body. Somehow in this cold water, warmth emanates from her. Her hands slide down my arms till both are laced with my fingers. Her arms wrap around me, hands still holding mine. She just holds me, waiting for me to break. It's too easy to surrender into her arms, to let her take my pain and carry it with her own.

She holds me till we both begin to shiver from the cold. Finally we begin to make our way back to shore.

'Xena.'

'I know.'

'Who could do that, to babies?'

'No one I know of.' I find myself sitting on a blanket next to the fire. I'm still in my wet clothes but I can't bring myself to move any further. Xena sits down next to me, her arm wrapping across my shoulders. Neither of us manage to sleep, we just stare into the flames, lost in our own thoughts.


End file.
